“Bruce Conner: It’s All True”: Museums around the world vied over many years for the chance to work with artist Bruce Conner on his retrospective; ultimately, all such efforts failed during his lifetime. As a result, one of the greatest artists San Francisco has ever produced is given his due years late. It’s an expansive survey — 250 works in painting, sculpture, film, photography and other media — assembled by four curators and their teams at both the Museum of Modern Art in New York and SFMOMA. Oct. 29-Jan. 22. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 151 Third St., S.F. www.sfmoma.org

Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art: The Bay Area has seen more than its share of new visual-arts buildings in the past year, but the Manetti Shrem Museum at UC Davis is the first certifiably new museum. Not a building, a program — it was designed from the ground up as an education resource for both students and the public (which is why it’s at the entrance to the university, and not lost somewhere in that maze colleges like to call a campus). I, for one, can’t wait to see if it lives up to the dream. Opening Nov. 13. Alumni Lane, University of California, Davis. http://manettishremmuseum.ucdavis.edu

“Space Program: Europa”:Artist Tom Sachs creates vast fictional narratives of space flight and exploration out of makeshift sculptures and cobbled-together teams of actors. His 2012 Mars expedition, filling New York’s vast Park Avenue Armory, was a sensation; this new launch will occupy all the galleries of YBCA and then some. Sept. 16-Jan. 15, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St., S.F. www.ybca.org

“Frank Stella: A Retrospective”: The New York outing of this show at the Whitney Museum of American Art received mixed reviews, but there is no denying that Frank Stella is a major figure in the art of the past half century. His work may forever be associated in our minds with the grandest corporate lobbies, but the opportunities have been rare to see a range of his paintings monographically, comparatively. Here’s our chance. Nov. 5-Feb. 26. De Young Museum, Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr, S.F. http://deyoung.famsf.org

“The Brothers Le Nain: Painters of 17th Century France”: No need to apologize if the name Le Nain rings no bells. Antoine and Mathieu (and their studio) painted their share of saints and noble families, but their penchant for depicting the poor may not have won them many fans once the artists themselves were gone. In any case, this is the first museum exhibition from their 400-year-old body of work ever presented in the U.S. — reason enough to want to learn more. Oct. 8-Jan. 29. Legion of Honor, Lincoln Park, 100 34th Ave., S.F. https://legionof honor.famsf.org

“Mind Over Matter: Conceptual Art From the Collection”:UC Berkeley’s new art museum building, which opened in January, included space for a specialized conceptual art study center. I am looking forward to a better understanding of the collection that prompted such an investment. The show unveils a new acquisition, the Steven Leiber collection, and veteran curator Connie Lewallen is the organizer, upping the ante. Oct. 19-Dec. 23. Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive, 2155 Center St., Berkeley. http://bampfa.org

“The Rama Epic: Hero, Heroine, Ally, Foe”:The story of Prince Rama is older than the New Testament. In much of Asia, it is as treasured for its literary qualities and religious guidance as the Bible is in Christian circles. This exhibition will assemble 135 works of art, from the ancient to contemporary and from around the world, that draw upon the epic. Oct. 21-Jan.15. Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St., S.F. www.asianart.org

“Anthony Hernandez”:A photographer of Los Angeles who has, for more than 45 years, trained his camera on the forgotten corners of his home city, Hernandez has received critical approval and many honors. More than 160 works make up this, his first large-scale retrospective exhibition. Sept. 24-Jan. 1. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 151 Third St., S.F. www.sfmoma.org

“Beauty — Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial”:The Smithsonian Institution’s museum of the history of design has put on a survey of cutting-edge design in America since 2000. This fifth installment tackles a surprisingly tough subject — after all, isn’t it all in the eye of the beholder? — through examples by 63 designers in categories the museum calls Ethereal, Intricate, Transformative, Transgressive, Elemental, Emergent and Extravagant. Oct. 8-Feb. 19. San Jose Museum of Art, 110 S. Market St., San Jose. http://sjmusart.org

“Highest Heaven: Spanish and Portuguese Colonial Art From the Roberta and Richard Huber Collection”: An exhibition of Spanish and Portuguese colonial art is rare enough in the big museums of the eastern U.S.; as far as I can determine, such a show in the West is almost unheard of — despite our strong Spanish heritage. I saw the collection, which is focused on the art of South America in the 17th and 18th centuries, at the Hubers’ home some years ago (Roberta was a trustee at the Brooklyn Museum when I worked there). It was a beauty then; I’m told it has since grown and been further refined. Oct. 23-Jan. 22. Crocker Art Museum, 216 O St., Sacramento. www.crockerartmuseum.org

William Blake Gallery:John Windle, an antiquarian bookseller with a track record of more than 40 years in San Francisco, has announced that he will open a gallery devoted to the art of the incomparable British artist and poet William Blake (1757-1827). Hundreds of original works are promised in a long-running retrospective, opening Oct. 14. 49 Geary St., S.F. www.johnwindle.com